Review: 2013 Jaguar XJL Portfolio

One of the slipperiest shapes to adorn the new look of luxury, the Jaguar XJL increases the desirability of the OTG (other than German) high-end sedan market ten-fold.

An evocative extended-length four-door that would feel at home on any executive jaunt, the XJL very well might convince buyers to toss their Mercedes-Benz, Audi and BMW keys in the direction of the used car manager at their local Jaguar dealer.

What is it? 
With the XJ occupying the flagship range of the Jaguar brand, the XJL is the extended wheelbase version of the four-door, five-passenger sedan. Available as nearly a totally configurable or bespoke model the XJL Portfolio is as fancy as a non-supercharged Jaguar can be these days.

Of course, those desiring more can add at least another $50,000 to our tester by way of the range-topping XJL Ultimate with its Gulfstream G550-inspired interior. Just 30 will be available, so take out that second mortgage today.

Our XJL tester included Jaguar's 5.0-liter naturally aspirated, direct gas-injection V8 that produces 385 horsepower plus 380 lb-ft of torque at 3,500 rpm. Go full-on hedonist and you'll end up with a 510-horsepower supercharged version of this engine, while fuel and cash misers will find the remarkably likable 3.0-liter, 340-pony V6 in standard wheelbase XJs.

Constructed of high-strength materials including a unibody that is primarily aluminum with magnesium and other composites, the XJ comes together through the use of aerospace-based riveting and bonding processes.

XJs are now equipped with a-new-for-2013 ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic transmission that now replaces the previous six-speed gearbox. Ours was a rear-drive model, but for the first time, an all-wheel-drive package mated to the 3.0-liter supercharged V6 will now be available for those in the snowbelt.

XJLs feature Jaguar's Drive Control, which offers various modes for its standard self-leveling rear air suspension and active damping system. Moreover,

What's it up against? 
Direct competition for the XJL comes from the Mercedes-Benz S550, BMW 750Li and Audi A8L, plus the Lexus LS 460L.

How does it look?
Long and lean. Hunkered down, it looks as though it is decidedly longer than the extra five inches it holds over its not-so-gifted brother.

By the numbers, the XJL measures out with a wheelbase of 124.3-inches and overall length of 206.8-inches versus the 119.4 and 201.9-inches, respectively of the standard length XJ. It carries its extra girth rather well.

Our Indigo Blue tester was nicely accented with the use of blingy chrome strips around the greenhouse, the door handles and other area accents, as well as by the car’s 19-inch polished alloy wheels.

The darker shade really emphasizes the chrome accents compared to more restrained light colors. In the case where it is truly noticeable, we have to say we like it.

And on the inside? 
Fully wrapped in leather, the Jaguar XJL is the total package. Fine hides, burled elm veneers that are simply gorgeous, chrome accents and stellar audio all do their part to convey the feeling of luxury that all the major players in this segment possess.

One minor kvetch: There's a lot of plastic chrome masquerading as the real deal.

A high-resolution programmable TFT screen allows the driver to configure the readouts that are important to them at that moment. The center console stack, with its eight-inch touchscreen monitor, is well sorted, although it has a few more small buttons than we would like to see. It's not that we dislike buttons, but these could be more logically arrayed.

On the other hand, the heated, ventilated and massaging front seats did a great job in guaranteeing we arrived cool and refreshed after a decidedly long stint behind the wheel.

We found the 16-way power front seats to be a touch hard, but in the end, felt that they actually kept us slightly more aware than if the seats were so cushy as to lull you away. To our feeling, it was more like sleeping on a very firm mattress: when you awoke from your long slumber, you were generally more rested and awake than if you were on a soft pillow-like mattress. The overall effect was quite comfortable following the conclusion of a long ride.

That said, we honestly hoped for a driver to chauffeur us around simply so we had a chance to enjoy the House of Lords rear seating section with its reclining function, fold down desks, footrests, and increased legroom of 44.1 inches.

Finally, to add to all the other high-zoot accessories, the 825-watt Meridian Audio system boasts the output of last year’s 1,200-watt system but with less power consumption. Additionally, there was a pair of in-headrest eight-inch monitors with wireless headphones for DVD, music and gaming entertainment of the backseat occupants.

But does it go? 
Acceleration from the 5.0-liter V8 was smooth and silky, even offering a bit of a performance grumble as we squeezed the go pedal in our sled. Otherwise, the XJL was nice and quiet, in an isolating sort of way, which allowed us the peace and quiet to reflect on our standing in life. While continuing up the interstate in normal cruise mode, it seemed the only disruption of our train of thought was from the air conditioning fan motor.

Turning things up a wick was as easy as selecting a checkered flag button on the JaguarDrive gear knob panel. Not only did it firm up already well-controlled power steering, it remapped the throttle for a more sporting feel underfoot. Furthering the sporty feel were the included paddle shift-levers.

Despite its extra length, the XJL feels nearly as nimble as its standard-sized sibling. That said, we liked having the XJL’s Cornering Brake Control at the ready to essentially act as torque-vectored braking to tighten the car’s turning radius in hard cornering.

At the end of the day, though, this big four-door still makes the most sense as a high-speed cruiser. Simply engage the adaptive cruise control and let it do the work for you.

The mileage range of the 4,145 lbs. XJL really impressed us given the power underhood. We nailed the EPA's 16/25 mpg target – including its 19 mpg combined figure.


Leftlane's bottom line
Continuing to show off the impressive build quality and engineering of the new Jaguar brand, the XJL is a flagship four-door worthy of serious consideration.

It goes to show that the XJL, with its extended wheelbase and commodious interior can compete on the world’s luxury stage, and look every bit as elegant as those from the old Continent. We're looking at you, BMW, Mercedes and Audi drivers.

2013 Jaguar XJL Portfolio base price, $81,200. As tested, $98,725.
Price includes Adaptive Cruise Control $2,300; Rear seat comfort pack, $5,000; Front seat massager, $800; Visibility package, $850; Illumination package, $1,700; Meridian 825 watt, $2,300; 19-inch Alloy Wheels, $1,500; Rear seat entertainment, $2,200; Destination, $875.